


Together we're whole

by Sweetanco



Series: True mates [1]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, F/F, F/M, Homophobia, I will tag the other pairings as they appear, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Minor Armin Arlert/Marco Bott, Minor Mikasa Ackerman/Eren Yeager, Mpreg, Omega Verse, Sexism, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-11
Updated: 2015-02-25
Packaged: 2018-01-19 00:55:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1449334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sweetanco/pseuds/Sweetanco
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Survival has been part of  Armin's life ever since he was born. In a world where all he ever wanted was to belong, Armin had to run and hide his true nature from others in order to stay alive. He thought he had done just fine for the past 19 years, his secrets hidden and his life safe. But it only took one night, a single action, for everything to crumble around him and go straight to hell. Harsh decisions will be  taken and sacrifices must be made for better... or for worse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Heat

**Author's Note:**

> This plot wouldn't leave me alone until I had written there goes another one. It's my first time writing in this verse ever and this first chapter is tentative try out... who am I kidding I won't rest until I'm done with this. In case you missed the warning, there will be mpreg in this.  
> Also completely off-subject: I'm still squeeling over the Shoujo EreMin Isayama drew. It's a fake preview but it fuels my love for this ship <3

_“I can’t... I can’t do this.” The woman looked at the man standing next to her bed with desperate eyes. “Don’t let them do this. Please… ”_

_“We don’t have any other choice, Helena. You know I would do everything in my power to protect the both of you if I could. But right now it’s-”_

_“Let’s run away then. Let’s go far away, somewhere they won’t be able to find him. We could…”_

_Her mate’s stricken expression made her swallow back her words. It was foolish. Even to her own ear, running away in her weakened state with a newborn while their pack waiting outside the small house sounded ridiculous. They would be tracked down, quickly found and then sentenced to death for going against the law. In her arms, the newborn started wailing, demanding her attention. Bringing him closer to her face, she nudged him with her nose making soft sounds at the back of her throat calm him down. The baby's screams stopped almost immediately, replaced instead by hiccups which in turn slowly died down._

_“It’s our pup, our only son. Why do we have to give him away? Those barbaric people…” Saying this, her tears fell on the infant cheek as little sobs racked her body._

_“We’re part of those barbaric people. They are our pack. Their laws are the ones we’ve wrongly lived by for years. Staying here was an error and now our son will die if we don’t do anything. We’re protecting him from them, Helena. If it means Armin has to grow far away from us, so be it. That’s the price we have to pay for bringing him into this world.”_

_Johan’s voice broke on those last words. Bending down to his mate level, he kissed their newborn on the head and whispered words of blessing for him. Caressing the soft blonde hair so similar to his own, the man blinked back his own tears. He told himself that his son’s protection mattered more than anything else, including his or his mate’s grief. They needed to protect their innocent child no matter what happened or  their own feelings._

_“We don’t have a lot of time before the old sage goes out to make the announcement.” He looked at the old woman, the pack’s oldest healer and she nodded gravely._

_The young mother looked up at her mate’s sad but determined face and took a shaking breath. She knew he was right and their son couldn’t stay here unless she wanted him killed. She didn’t. Taking one last look at her baby, she kissed him then hugged the small body tightly to hers, taking in her pup’s scent and imprinting hers on him. One last time before she had to let him go. Maybe even the last time she would see him. When she handed her son to the old sage, she had to resist her strong desire to pull him back to her. She shook silently and watched the old sage prepare him._

_Taking out a small bottle from inside her clothes, the old woman poured the content on a piece of cloth and proceeded to rub it all over the baby. Once she was done, she wrapped the baby in another piece of woven cloth she got out from a bag next to her and called to another man who had been standing away, watching the scene in front of him with sadness and resignation._

_“Since he won’t go with his parents, you don’t have to worry about his scent. The ointment will cover it.” She gave him the baby and handed him the bag she had prepared to help feed the young pup later. The baby yawned between them. “With this, the child will sleep for the next 3 to 4 hours. You know what to do once you get far away from the trackers. You also have more ointment for yourself right?”_

_The old man nodded. The ointment was the reason why he had been able to sneak in the old house, unnoticed by the population of shifters. When the turned toward the distraught couple, his heart went out for them. The grief of being separated from their very first child like this was almost akin to death for both shifters. His daughter was crying again, her eyes puffy red, her complexion pale from her recent exertions, her normally beautiful black hair a total mess. He knew she had to feel the separation even worse than her mate because of the maternal bond. It made him wish again that they didn’t have to do this, take his grandson away and leave the young couple behind. But his life was in danger and he couldn’t afford the doubts and regrets anymore._

_“I will take care of him, don’t worry.”_

_Through her tears, the young woman gave him a tired smile._

_“I know, father. Now you have to go. Take him to a safer place.”_

_“I will. You take care of yourselves. And be careful around Ulrich, especially you Helena”._

_She nodded and accepted her mate’s comforting embrace. The old man looked at them for a few more seconds before he went to the back of the house, disappearing through the secret trap in the ground. They both all watched him disappear, the couple unable to tear their eyes away long after the man was gone. The man held on his mate tightly, trying to comfort her and find solace as they both felt the loss of their pup acutely._

_“Armin will be safe now and it’s all that matters. Think about him growing up far away from here, in a place where he can be happy and grow up to be a fine man later.”_

_“Just like his father.” She smiled, looking at her mate through watery eyes. “He already looks a lot like you.”_

_“He only took his hair and eye color from me. Everything else is you.” He said as he kissed her. “We made a fine looking baby.”_

_When he managed to get a laugh from her, the man felt relieved. They had to move along with the plan. He reached under the bed and took a small package. Unknowing eyes would think the man was holding a baby wrapped in fabrics. Only it wasn’t true. He swallowed the bile rising in his throat at the smell coming off the bundle and grabbed his mate’s arm._

_“It’s time. We need to get ready.” When the woman shook her head in disgust, her mate pushed the bundle toward her._

_“I know it’s hard for you but we have to do it. We have to finish this. Think about Armin.”_

_About his future. Thinking about her son’s safety was her priority. Resolved she took the stinking bundle and rubbed it over her face and torso. The pungent smell was unpleasant but she went through with it, only thinking about the safety of her child. Holding it the way she would have done a baby, she prayed that their plan worked or at least gave her father enough time to get their son as far away as possible from the pack._

_On the man’s signal, the old sage went outside. They could hear her voice as she grimly announced the death of the pack’s beta first pup. A murmur went through the crowd outside and soon a man was stepping inside. The couple paid the Alpha no mind, all of their attention on the bundle the woman was holding in her hands. They would have to look convincing and make their distress believable to their Alpha._

_Upon entering the house, the smell of death assaulted him before he even saw the couple. Ulrich bypassed the small living room, kitchen and went straight for the room the sage received her patients in. He found the two mates huddled together on the bed and waited for them to acknowledge him before he addressed his next-in-command._

_“I understand that you are grieving Johan, but you know our laws. Was the old healer able to establish his status?”_

_“Yes, Alpha. He was born leaning more toward me. He could have been a beta like.” The man bowed in deference to the pack leader._

_“I see. I’m sure he would have made as fine a 2 nd leader for the clan as you are, Johan Arlert. It’s sad that the goddess decided to take back your pup. Take comfort in the fact that he could have led this pack one day. At least he wasn’t born an omega, like his mother.” _

_Helena had to stop herself from talking back at the Alpha. His disdain for her had always been clear but she didn’t want to hear him talk about her son that way. But she kept quiet and turned away when she saw his satisfied expression._

_“I'm sorry for your loss, Johan. I’ll give you time to mourn your pup now.”_

_The couple watched the Alpha’s retreating back and sighed when he got out, relieved that everything had gone smoothly. The old sage came back in, accompanied by other members of the pack wanting to offer support to their beta in these hard times. The subsequent burial, occurred after that, privately._

_Unfortunately for them, their trick would be found out later that night. The grave would be dug up, the bundle found empty of any dead body. When none of them would answer the Alpha’s question about the child, a furious Ulrich would challenge his Beta to a fight to death while he had the old Sage and young mother tortured. All three of them would die without saying anything, leaving the Alpha seething at the idea that he had been played. There would be no trace of the infant thus rendering the trackers mission vain. Ulrich would swear to find the infant no matter what. No male omega was born in his pack and left alive. They took care of abominations like this and this one would be found, no matter what._

 

\- **7 years later** -

 

 

It was a beautiful day outside. Spring had come and gone, giving way to the summer and the warm rays of the sun. In the local park, children were playing, running around and filling the place with loud yells and laughter.

An old man sat on a bench away from the casual crowd, his gaze resting on a small group of children playing not far away from him. Far from being interested in the group itself, the old man kept watch over his 7-year-old grandson playing ball with some of the kids.

The infant he had run with so many years ago had turned into a fine looking boy, taking after both his parents. From Johan, the boy had inherited his blonde hair and blue eyes, as well as a high intellect and focus when studying. He already had the keen sense of observation his father had been well known for as a beta.  everything else, he had taken from his mother, Helena. His smiles, facial expressions down to the mannerisms. Sometimes looking at him made the old man think that his daughter had been reborn into her son. Tears prickled his eyes again as he remembered the last time he had seen the young couple on that fateful night, full of grief but alive. They had died protecting their son.

“Hey, Armin!”

Another boy ran up to the group of kids and immediately went to stand close to the blonde. The old man didn’t miss the way his grandson smiled when the boy arrived nor did he miss the way the other boy leaned in closer to his grandson, probably smelling him. Frowning, the old man felt the now familiar conflicting thoughts clash inside him.  Should he separate the two children or keep letting them play together? As per usual no easy answer came to him.

The other boy, Eren Jaeger, was his grandson’s best friend. The two boys had quickly become friends after Eren stood up to bullies and protected Armin. The old man respected the connection between them despite the fact that Eren was another wolf shifter too. It had been clear to his trained eyes from day one that the other boy was a shifter. The old man may have been a human but he had lived with enough shifters, even married one, to recognize one of them almost immediately. Even a pup like the young Jaeger.

Armin being friends with another pup hadn’t been cause to worry for him at first. In trying to protect his grandson, the old man had taught him how to hide his nature and appear human to everyone around him, other shifters included. The ointment the old sage made him learn to prepare before they parted ways helped a great deal. Armin had assimilated the technique very quickly, rendering his nature undetectable even to the adult wolves of the pack inside the city they were currently living in. Consequently, the old man had seen no harm in letting his grandson play with a pup like Eren, especially when the boy was the only friend his grandson had made. But even then, he did make sure they didn’t spend too much time together, just to be on the safe side. 

Everything had gone well and it wasn’t until much later that the old man would realize how wrong he had been.

The young shifter had turned out to be an alpha in the making. Even at his young age, Eren had an unusual commanding aura that both shifters and human kids alike had learned to respect. The old man knew that sometimes young alphas could manifest this way but he had felt something different from the other boy he hadn’t been able to place. Researching the pack information had only given him the basic information.

However it had made the old man start to worry. He didn’t want his grandson anywhere near an alpha, even if this one was in the making. Armin’s nature was a complete opposite to Alphas. The situation had gotten even more complicated and worrisome when Eren and Armin had each gone to him with questions about each other scent. Eren had come up to him first while they were playing at the park, his face expressing nothing but intense curiosity.

“Does Armin use perfume? I keep asking him but he says he doesn’t know.”

“Perfume?”

“Yes. He smells really good, like candy. But none of the other kids can smell that on him. Armin doesn’t know either. But you’re his grandpa so you would know right? Does he eat a lot of sweets or something?”

Though he had found the question odd, the old man had told the boy that he also didn’t know. Since the boy had mentioned Armin smelling like candies, the old man hadn't thought much of it. But he had advised that Eren stop talking about Armin's smell around like that or else Armin would start thinking Eren thought he smelled bad. To which the young pup had vehemently shaken his head, adding that that his blond friend smelled really nice before running off. The young boy had insisted later, asking the same question to the old man over and over before giving up. At first intrigued, the old man had soon let it go and paid no more attention to that event until his grandson brought up a similar question. When Armin had mentioned that Eren smell had changed and that his friend smelled _‘better than everyone else he knew’,_ it had raised alarm bells in the old man. It would be normal for his grandson to catch Eren’s scent since they were both shifters. What wasn’t normal was the fact that just before him, Eren had also mentioned Armin’s candy-like smell. It was worrisome to say the least.

Unable to shake the feeling that he was onto something important, the old man had tried consulting some of his older books on wolf shifters and their folklore. What he found left him shaken. What if by some weird coincidence the candy smell Eren had picked from Armin was actually Armin's scent? What if the young pup had been able to pick on Armin snifter smell when not even the adults shifter had been able to? The answers to those questions only lead to one huge implication, too heavy to even consider. If despite their young age, their animal senses had not only picked up on each other scent but were also extremely affected by it, it would only mean that…

"This way!"

His grandson’s laughter shook him out of his thoughts, in time for him to see the two boys run around the park hand in hand. Armin grinned widely as the other boy tugged him by the hand, wind rustling through his blond hair. Armin was happy and laughing just like every other time he had been around Eren. Life hadn’t been easy on the boy, wouldn’t be in the future either. Being a wolf shifter without being part of a pack was bound to have a toll, even on a young pup like Armin. Wolves were extremely pack oriented and longed for bonding with others. It was in their nature, something Armin couldn’t thrive on. It made him lonely and sad, the old man could see it. Yet his grandson had found another way to bond through Eren. Despite not knowing of Armin’s true nature, the other pup had been able to get his grandson to open up to him and learn to have fun like any normal kid their age. They would both play together even when they had no other playmates, although they were never far from Eren’s pack guardians. The old man knew all about the way a pack would let their pups mingle with human kids. He had been one such guardian in his old pack, at a time where his daughter was still a pup. He chased the memory away, his eyes still following his grandson's movements. 

The two boys had fallen to the ground now, each pointing at something above their heads. A soft smile broke on the old man face. Thanks to the other sifter, his grandson was happy and had something else to look forward to whenever they came to the park, another reason why the old man was forever grateful to Eren. Another reason why he always felt reticent at the thought of separating them when part of him dictated he did so to protect Armin. But was protecting him worth hurting him even more based on mere speculations and wolf folklore? The old man didn't have an answer to that. Maybe letting them hang out together for a little while wouldn’t hurt. He hoped so with all of his heart while he tried to ignore the nagging feeling inside him about the two boys’ connection and the potential repercussion on Armin.

 

 

- **12 years later** -

 

How many times had he taken those steps to visit his grandfather’s grave over the past year? Armin couldn’t remember. As he took the stair leading to the cemetery, he thought about how eerily quiet it was around him. There wasn’t that much noise in this part of the city usually, but he could at least hear the birds and the construction sounds coming from the adjacent property. Today there was no sound at all, even the birds weren't singing. It made him feel uneasy for some reason.

Shaking off his bad feeling, Armin finally reached the top of the hill and went in direction of the familiar gravestone. The smell of nutmeg immediately hit his nose and he smiled affectionately. He knew their old neighbor had come to see his grandfather before he even saw her.

“Hello Ms. Baum.” He greeted once he was standing next to her.

“Armin! What a pleasant surprise.” She hugged him. “I didn’t think I would see you up here today. Didn’t you come last week already?”

He nodded but didn’t mention anything about today being a special day for him. This was information that his grandfather had hidden even from her, for the sake of keeping them both safe, just in case.

“I just felt like coming up here again today, to talk to him.”

“Oh Armin.” She looked at him sadly. “You know he wouldn’t want you to spend so much time in this place all the time. Your grandfather would want you to live a healthy and happy life.”

Armin only nodded. He knew that. It wasn’t like he came here every week. He had just done so for the past 2 weeks or so because it was that time of the year again.

“But oh well, look at me talking when I spent most of my time here. I’ll let you two alone now, dear. This old lady also has a lot of things to do.”

“Baking cakes for the neighborhood kids again?”

“You know me too well young man.”

They made some idle chitchat after that until the old woman was on her way home. Left alone, Armin crouched down and felt tears well up in his eyes.

“Hi grandpa. I know I was here only 5 days ago but you know today is ‘special’ for me. 19 years ago today, I was born into this screwed up world. 19 years ago, the parents I never knew died because of me.” The tears ran freely now, making his vision blurry.

His grandfather had told him everything about his parents. How they had died trying to protect him from a pack he had never known and never wanted to know. The fact that today was his birthday didn't bring him any kind of joy. Instead, he felt empty and sad. How could he not when this day also marked the day his parents died for him?

“I’m 19 now Grandpa. Today I would have been considered a real adult if I was in a pack.” Armin laughed bitterly through his tears.

A pack. As a young pup, Armin had longed to be part of a pack. Reading about werewolves and the shifter society inside his grandfather’s books had made his young heart yearn. He had read about adults wolves following the youngsters training and helping them learn to control their animal side. He had also read about the young pups staying together as they grew up in order to create a tighter bond between them as members of the same pack. It had all sounded wonderful to him, almost like having a big family and lots of friend to play with. But it had only lasted until his grandfather told him the truth about his true nature and status in werewolf society.

Of course Armin had known about the hierarchy within the pack, Alphas, Betas, hunters, trackers, providers etc… It all depended on the packs however since some of them didn’t use the same hierarchy system outside of Alpha, Beta and hunters. The one thing he had learned about through his grandfather was what being an omega meant.

Within the wolf society, omega wolves were a rare breed of shifters whose ‘sole’ purpose was to help Alphas and sometimes Betas breed future leaders. Whereas having humans or regular wolves mates gave a 60% probability that the pups would take on the leading traits of the Alpha or Beta parent, with an Omega mate the chances were as high as 99%. One would think that such a thing would make omegas appear like invaluable members of the pack. It didn't. They were treated more as objects than anything else.

Females omega would have a mate chosen for them from birth, among the strongest within the pack. Once the mate was chosen they would have no choice but to go through with the mating when the time was right.

Their male counterpart weren’t treated the same. It was in fact worse. They were male shifters born to mate and conceive with other males. Same sex mating was already frowned upon in shifters society, abnormal in the eyes of many. Male omegas were considered an abomination at large. They were seen as the weakest of the packs and as such were either ostracized, persecuted or sometimes killed depending on their pack laws. The pack his parents had pertained to, _Bloody Hearts_ , had lived following the ‘breed or kill’ law.

You’re in danger and can never be accepted for who you are.

Armin had received the message loud and clear. It hadn’t been easy for the young up. He had found it unfair that other wolves were condemning him for his status, something he had no control over. His own pack had wanted him dead for who he was. Even, Eren his one and only friend could turn on him if he ever learned the truth about him. Armin had cried for days after learning about his heritage, wishing he was never born at all or at least had been born different.

His grandfather had tried to comfort him, told him about rumors of certain packs in other parts of the world where omega shifters were treated better, be they male or females. There was hope that he could find a place where he belonged someday. That hope as well as his grandfather constant support had made Armin want to push forward. Yet now… Now he had lost the only family he had left when his grandfather had succumbed to old age and died 2 years before.

Armin wiped away his tears and looked straight ahead.

“You know grandpa, sometimes I wonder if it wouldn’t have been better that Dad and Mom told the truth to their pack and left me to die.”

The wind picking up right at that moment felt like a reprimand from his grandfather and made him shook his head in response.

“It’s true. Dad and Mom would be alive now if they had revealed what I was. If I wasn’t born, they wouldn’t be dead now and you could have had your daughter for a lot longer. They might have had more pups who wouldn’t turn out like me.” Even as he said that his tears came back again, his heart clenching at the thought of being alone. “I wouldn’t have to spend the rest of my life like this, taking those pills to suppress a part of myself. Feeling like something inside me is dying a little more, every time I swallow a suppressant. I have nothing to hang on in this life, grandpa. No family of mine, no projects, no future. Nothing. How long until I can’t anymore, grandpa?”

Right then his phone beeped and Armin saw that he had received a text message from his best friend.

“Hey birthday boy. I’m at your place right now, but you’re nowhere to be seen.

Did you go to see your grandpa again? You shouldn't be up there all the time.

Anyway, today's your birthday and we wanted to go out and celebrate tonight.

Call me when you get this okay? And you can’t say you don’t want to go. Eren

PS: please don’t say no.”

 

Why was he always signing his text message when Armin already had his phone number? Laughing a little through his tears, Armin tucked his cell phone away. He looked again at his grandfather grave and touched the cold stone. His grandfather was gone but he couldn’t deny that he had at least Eren and the rest of the group he hanged out with. Even if that wasn't enough, it was at least something to hold on to. For now.

“Eren wants us to hang out tonight, probably with everyone else too. I know if you were here with me, you would look at me disapprovingly and say that I shouldn’t hang out with him or the others so often. And you would be right, I know.”

 _But I can’t help it,_ Armin added in his thoughts. He had been attracted to Eren for so many years that being with Eren felt completely natural to him. Simply hanging out with him or having Eren somewhere in his vicinity was enough to make him feel good. _To make everything feel right_ , like his wolf would say. Armin knew that he was wrong to feel like that, especially when he knew who Eren was and that he had already chosen a mate. Unfortunately, those facts had never stopped those feelings he had toward Eren. His intense yearning for him or the way his wolf would react to him. Armin had tried fighting his emotions, in vain.

“I don’t feel like going tonight but I’m sure they would all go if I was there. Mikasa and Marco would probably buy me presents. Jean and Eren would just try to get me as 'drunk' as possible.”

Thinking about the four shifters he had come to call his friends, Armin grinned. He could just imagine their night out already. Thinking their friend was human they would indeed try to get him to loosen up. Armin snorted before another image popped in his head uninvited, making him frown.

“As if a shifter could get drunk easily. But then again, they all think I'm human. If I go… Well I’ll also have to watch _them_ fuss over each other all night long. I don’t know what to do grandpa. Maybe it’s time I cut all ties with them and went my own way? Should I?”

He stood there and waited, hoping for an answer he knew would never come.

  
 

 

_I knew it would be a bad idea but I still came._

Eren guided Mikasa to the dance floor and Armin sat there, feeling bitterness and jealousy warring inside him. He had known this would happen, that he would have to watch his two friends be all over each other. After all they were the Alpha pair of their pack and as such this kind of behavior was to be expected with them. Even at school amongst the other humans they had been considered a couple. Armin had known beforehand that he would have to see this just like he had known that it would make him feel shitty. Yet, he had gone out with them, unable to resist Eren’s begging.

After leaving the cemetery, Armin had decided against going out and avoided going back to his apartment. He was pretty certain to find one of his four friends waiting for him if he had gone back. He had spent hours hanging at Ms. Baum, helping her prepare the pastries and following her as she went to visit other people that afternoon. Since none of his friends had ever really known where he and his grandfather lived, he had been safe there with their old neighbor. Unfortunately going back late hadn't saved him from his stubborn his best friend. Eren always found a way to get what he wanted and this case had been no different. Eren had waited for Armin in the parking lot of Armin’s apartment complex and once he caught him, had insisted until Armin gave in. 

The DJ suddenly put a slow song and Eren took Mikasa in his arms. Armin turned away and met Marco's sympathetic gaze. He dropped his eyes, aware that Marco would be able to read him clearly if his face hadn’t given his feelings away already.

He knew he had no right to feel jealous or hurt. Eren wasn’t his to begin with and even if he had been, there could have never been anything between them. They were both males shifters and Eren had never shown any interest in any other male. Moreover, he didn't know much about Eren's pack but going by the information he had on them, it seemed to be one of those pack who didn’t take kindly to male mating. There was no saying what would happen if they knew he was an omega to boot.

No matter how he looked at it, Armin knew there was never a possibility for the Eren and him either way. That didn’t stop Armin from feeling like he should be the one in Eren’s arms, his righteous place. Thinking like that always made him feel bad because he considered Mikasa his other best friend. He loved her as much as he loved Eren except not in the same way. Calm and very devoted to the people she cared for, Mikasa had always been there for him, protecting him and Eren countless times when they were younger. She made a perfect mate for Eren. Strong enough to match him, she would be able to take care of him and give him without a doubt a strong offspring. But more than anything, she loved Eren wholeheartedly and unconditionally. It was in her stares and the way she took care of him. Mikasa was a beautiful woman and would never bring shame on Eren or his pack, unlike him. Eren seemed to return her attention just as much. A match made in heaven.

“I think I’m gonna throw up. How can she even stand dancing like that with him? What does she even see in him?”

 _At least I’m not the only one bitter. That’s kind of comforting._ Armin decided to leave his dark thoughts aside and pay more attention on Jean and Marco. They were his friends too.

“She sees in him… what she doesn’t see in you I guess?”

“Shut up, birthday boy. I'm so much better that this dickhead, a much better choice.”

“Apparently not. I’m sorry you can’t handle the truth.” Laughing, Armin looked in Marco’s direction and sobered up almost instantly when he saw Marco’s pained expression. How could he forget about Marco being there or him having feelings for Jean?

“Marco…”

“Jean you should stop bad-mouthing Eren so much. It’s not going to make Mikasa love him any less. Maybe you should think about changing tactics.” Marco looked once in direction of the dance floor then back at Armin and Jean. “Come on guys, we’re celebrating Armin’s birthday, let’s have some fun until Eren and Mikasa come back okay?”

He raised his beer bottle for a toast and Jean followed him. Marco’s fake cheerfulness may have fooled Jean but not Armin who simply raised his own glass to cheer. Looking at the two of them, he wondered how Jean could miss Marco’s feelings for him when he wore them on his sleeves. Was Jean too taken by his feelings for Mikasa to notice? Or was he deliberately playing oblivious and ignoring Marco's feelings because he was one of those who disliked male mating? Armin hoped it was the first and not the latter. Because Marco could always hope with the first while with the second option, not so much.

Marco looked in his direction then and smiled genuinely. Armin returned that smile. No need to worry, the other boy seemed to say.

“Pretending you don’t like alcohol again?” Jean asked him looking at Armin's glass.

“Not pretending. I can’t stand alcohol in any form.” The truth was that he couldn’t drink alcohol with the suppressants he took regularly. Since he couldn’t very well tell them that without revealing that he was also a shifter, he had told them he had hated alcohol.

“You’re such a party-pooper. You should lighten up, drink a little instead of being so guarded. It's your birthday.”

“I am what now? I just don’t need to drink alcohol to lighten up.”

“It’s his choice, you should respect it, Jean.” Marco added.

“Right. Should have known you would take his defense again, Bodt. Here I thought you were _my_ best friend.”

“It doesn’t mean I can’t say you’re wrong when you are.”

With the two boys engaged in another one of their usual debates, Armin decided to go get another glass of juice at the bar. He left his bickering friends, promising to be back soon. After fighting his way through the condensed mass at the bar, Armin finally got to a bartender and placed his order. When the bartender stood blinked at him for a few minutes instead of serving him, Armin frowned.

“An orange juice please? This establishment still serves non-alcoholic beverages right?”

The guy seemed to snap out of it and offered him an easy smile.

“Of course. We serve everything in here. It’s just that you seem familiar. Have we met before?”

Armin almost rolled his eyes, almost. If he was hitting on him with the generic ‘hey have we met somewhere before’ line, he was wasting his time.

Actually even him saying the right thing wouldn’t have worked on Armin when Eren was close by. Remembering the couple, Armin searched the dance floor despite himself and caught sight of Mikasa dragging Eren back to their table by the hand. Looking at them Armin remembered their childhood, how he and Eren would hold hands a lot, without care. When had they stopped and why? Armin didn’t know, he couldn't remember. But now, all those affectionate gestures between them were reserved to Eren and Mikasa. Feeling another pang of jealousy, Armin turned back again to face the bartender, just as the guy was handing him his orange juice.

“Here you go.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem. Are you new around here? I’ve never seen you before.”

“I don’t go out often. I’m sorry, I’ve got to go.”

Armin took his drink and thought about heading back to their table then decided against it. He didn’t think he had schooled his expression enough to meet Eren and Mikasa again. Instead he stood at the far end of the bar and sipped at his orange juice slowly. From where he stood he had a perfect vantage point of their table and saw Eren and Jean were now engaged in another discussion while Marco and Mikasa were talking to each other. Now would be the perfect time for the four shifters to talk about pack related stuff with him not sitting with them. They were usually cautious around him, thinking he was just another human unaware of the paranormal world.

His friends. Over the year Armin has wished he could tell them about his real nature, imagined them accepting him as he was. Then they could all shift and go for a run together.

_Yes, in your dreams._

Armin snorted at his own delusions and swallowed what was left of his drink. Leaving the empty glass where it was, Armin made a move toward the table but suddenly felt dizzy. Blinking he gripped the counter for support, legs almost shaking under him as another wave of dizziness hit him again. This it was stronger than before. Wondering what was going on with him, Armin gripped the bar counter tightly when he felt an intense sensation of heat spread throughout his body.

His friends forgotten, Armin rushed to the restroom. By the time he was standing over the sink, he felt almost lightheaded. Hoping refreshing himself could help, Armin opened the faucet. The cold water in contact with his skin made him realize that his skin was hot, almost feverish like. Checking for his temperature, Armin pressed his fingers against his neck and was shocked to hear himself whine. His skin felt extra sensitive and unnaturally hot to touch. The heat inside his body was spiraling out of control, making him feel like he was on fire.

Glancing at himself in the mirror, Armin gasped when he saw that his blue eyes had turned golden brown, the very same color they changed to after he shifted. He blinked, hoping it was a hallucination of sort. But even after blinking a few times, the same golden brown eyes kept staring back at him. In vain, Armin tried to focus and get his eyes back to their usual human blue color. Panic started to set in as Armin wondered what was happening to him.

_I need to calm down. Think rationally._

Had someone spiked his drink? But something like that wouldn’t be enough to affect a shifter like him. They were usually resistant to the drugs which affected humans. What was happening to him?

Fighting against another wave of crushing heat, Armin tried desperately to remember what had happened at the bar. He had had his drink with him the whole time and no one had approached him. The only other person who had remotely touched his glass had been that strange bartender. His eyes widened. Had the bartender put something inside his drink while he was serving him? Why would he…?

His train of thought was soon forgotten when his nose caught an amazing scent. Armin didn’t think he had ever smelled anything this good – or at least to his exacerbated senses nothing had ever smelled so enticing. However as he focused a little, Armin recognized the smell as one he knew very well. Warm, strong and comforting. It was the scent of an Alpha, the same Alpha he had grown up with. It was Eren’s scent except it felt like it was completely different and much stronger than it had ever been before his heightened senses.

His wolf reacted to the smell instinctively, growing restless and making him feel like it was clawing its way out. The heat inside him turned scorching, coiling up in his belly and traveling down his groin. Armin felt his pants tighten and moaned when his cock pressed up against his pants. When he felt his asshole clench rhythmically, Armin dropped his hand down his pants and felt the wetness there. Horrified, he brought back his hand and looked at the clear liquid there. Slick. The heat, his hot skin, and his high level of sexual excitement. He was going into his first heat. Armin thought he was going to faint right then. Someone had drugged with something strong enough to nullify the effect of his suppressants and now he was going into heat in a club full of both paranormals and humans alike. But the worse was that his friends were there, Eren especially.

He was going into with the future Alpha of the local pack close by. An Alpha he had feelings for. An Alpha who didn’t know what he was and could have him killed.

Armin looked frantically around him in search for an escape route. He felt like howling in frustration when he found no window in sight. The club never had one in their restrooms, anyway. This couldn’t be happening. Eren couldn’t find him and discover what he was. As if on cue, the door opened and with it Eren’s scent came stronger, invading Armin’s senses and making his heat climb even higher.

_Get away. I need to get away._

**_‘He's here.’_ **

Shaking his head, Armin moved to the far wall, wishing he could merge with, anything but be in the situation he was currently in.

**‘ _He will take care of us. Our Mate._ ’**

It was increasingly hard to ignore his wolf’s voice, especially when Eren smelled this good. Armin moaned as another wave of heat hit him. If only he could touch his cock, alleviate the heat. Maybe Eren would… No! He dug his fingernails now turned into claws in the wall behind him. He need to focus, resist, find a way to get…

“Armin?”

As he heard Eren’s voice, closer now, Armin felt tears come to his eyes. He had never wanted this to happen. The little bit of rationality in him was thinking about his ill-fated life. What kind of luck had him lose his parents, enter his first heat and be caught by his alpha best friend on the day of his birthday?

 


	2. Mating

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains knotting. In the future, large paragraph in italics will always refer to the past.
> 
> Surprise, I haven't forgotten about this story! I know I took really long but life got in the way, sorry. I do plan on finishing all of my WIP, this included, even if the updates are irregular (I'm trying to establish a regular schedule rn). Thank you for the bookmarks and kudos! I hope you enjoy this chapter.

_The scent in the air was… weird._

_The little boy couldn’t think of a better word to describe the smell invading his senses as he walked toward its source. The smell made him feel like hunting, just like the preys he was learning about with the pack hunters. Yet at the same time it made him feel the same way his mom or dad. Like he had found family. The scent was different from anything his nose had ever caught, sweet and intriguing. It had even made the voice inside him react to urge to chase after it._

_He had first caught the strange scent while he played at the pack playground with the other pups. The way it had affected his senses had made the young shifter curious enough to ask the others if anyone was feeling the same. Surprisingly none of them had picked on that smell. Not even Marco Bodt, whom the adult praised a lot for his acute sense of smell. He had been the only one affected by the smell._

_His insistence with the other pups had resulted in him getting strange looks. A frustrated young pup had finally decided to go investigate on his own, going his way the moment some of the adult shifters got distracted by one pup getting injured._

_He understood that leaving on his own like that would probably have him punished – it was forbidden for young pups like him to venture alone in public human places, without an adult with them. However resisting the voice inside and the way it was pushing him to find whatever was giving off the smell no matter what, had been impossible._

_Now as he walked through the park, the little boy felt a little angry. Following the smell had led him to an area of the park he had never been to before, and although the fewer people around had made it easier for his senses to focus, he still hadn’t found anything. The scent was much stronger here, a sure sign that he was close to finding what he was looking for. Yet he hadn’t come up with anything so far._

_Disappointed, he was ready to turn and head back to the playground when his attention was drawn to a group of kids standing a little farther away, hidden from the path by some of the big trees. As he got closer, the young pup watched the scene with attentive eyes._

_There were three boys there, standing in a circle around a smaller kid and laughing at him as they kept something above their heads. _Upon getting closer the young pup noticed that what they held was a book that they kept passing between them. The smaller kid was trying to grab the book unsuccessfully,_ his blond hair moving with him every time he jumped._

_"Give it back. It's mine."_

_"Oh yeah? Take it then. No one is stopping you, cry baby."_

_"Are you sure he's a boy? He looks so much like a girl."_

_"Yeah a little girl. He cries and act like one too. Can't do anything by himself. Well today that old man isn't here to stop us, girly." The boy saying that laughed then grabbing the book for his turn, threw it away._

_"No!"_

_The blond tried to get past the others to get his book but one of them grabbed his arm and yanked him back, making him fall in the process._

_The young shifter had been watching the entire thing anxiously so far, wanting to intervene but trying not to. It was human business after all and they were always told to stay out of the human ways no matter what. But he forgot all of the warnings when he saw the blond boy fall. He couldn’t tell if the boy was hurt or not but that didn’t even matter. He was angry. The voice inside him was snapping at the fact that one of them had pushed him. They shouldn't have done that._

_Snarling, he charged at the group, his focus primarily on the one responsible for the blonde boy’s fall. He might have been smaller than them but he had the advantage of being a shifter, thus stronger than a normal human his age. Giving none of the boys enough time to react, he pushed the two he cared less about out of the way and immediately jumped the one he was targeting. They both went down, scuffling in the grass. When the other boy tried to get him off by kicking and punching him, the young shifter resisted in the same way. His sensitive hearing picked up the boy’s pulse soon and his gaze went to his throat._

_Weakness, his instinct told him._

_Listening on his instincts, the young shifter wrapped his fingers around the boy’s throat and squeezed with as much strength as he could muster. The boy redoubled his effort to free himself from the shifter atop of him, soon joined in his struggles by his friends. They did their hardest to pry the tight hold away from their friend’s throat, kicking and punching him at times. But the pain only made the young shifter snarl and press down even harder._

_“You will never touch him, ever again.”_

_Satisfaction went through the young shifter as he read the clear fear written on the face under him and smelled the urine in the air. He could hear the panic in the other boys voices as they kept trying to help their friends, smell the fear coming off them. But none of that affected him until he caught another pleading voice somewhere in the background._

_“No! Stop! Please stop! You’re hurting him!”_

_The words reached him at the same time the scent did. It was that same strange scent from earlier. This time it was strong, tainted with a hint of fear. The young shifter blinked, feeling like he was waking up from along sleep. He looked in the direction the voice had come from and met wide and tearful blue eyes, staring back at him. The blond. Distracted his fingers loosened their hold on their target and the other boys used that moment of distraction and to push him off their friends. While checking to make sure their friends was okay, they threw insults and threat in the young shifter way._

_“What’s wrong with you? You almost killed him, you freak!”_

_“You’re going to pay for this.” One of them promised as they took their friend away._

_The boy didn’t pay them any attention but instead focused on the blond sitting not far away from him, holding his book to his chest like he never wanted to let go. The weird smell from earlier was coming from him. Approaching the other boy, the young pup watched him curiously, wondering why the he smelled so weird. He reached out a hand in his direction and frowned when the other boy flinched away from him._

_“Are you okay?” When the boy didn’t answer, the young shifter kept frowning. He didn’t meant to scare him. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m not like those boys. I came here to help you, you know.”_

_Getting up, he held a hand out to help the blond up but the other boy kept watching him, his blue eyes tearful. Then his gaze shifted down to his extended hand for a few moments before he reached up for it hesitantly. The young shifter pulled him up and quickly checked him over for any injuries. He was glad to see that the blond looked okay, aside from the dirt on his clothes._

_“Are you hurt?”_

_“No. Thank you for helping me.” He said after a few minutes._

_“You’re welcome. They’re big meanies. They shouldn’t have pushed you like that.”_

_“They always do that.”_

_“Really?”_

_The blond nodded silently._

_“You shouldn’t let them. Fight back.” Looking at him again, the young pup decided to introduce himself. “My name is Eren. What’s yours?”_

_“I’m… My name is Armin. Nice to meet you, Eren.”_

_“Nice to meet you too. Do you play here often?” Saying that the young pup looked around the isolated area they were in. The other boy only shrugged instead of answering and kept looking at him._

_“You’re kind of weird. You don’t like to talk?”_

_“I’m not weird.”_

_“Yes you are. And you smell weird too.”_

_The other boy immediately went to smell his clothes before he looked him cautiously._

_“I don’t smell weird.”_

_“Yes you do. Do you want to play with me?”_

_The blue eyes widened at that._

_“You want to play… with me?”_

_“Sure why not?” The young pup wondered why the other boy looked so surprised. Why wouldn’t he want to hang out with him? Armin might have acted strange and smelled weird -for a human- but he didn’t think that made the boy a bad person._

_“Let’s be friends? When you come to the park, we can play together. But you've got to stop going where there is no one.” The young shifter added. Looking at the other boy, all he could think about was making sure no one would treat him like that anymore. Not those other boys or anyone else. If they were friends and hanged out together, he would be able to protect him and make sure he wasn’t hurt._

_Eren was happy to see the other boy smile and nod, accepting his request. Armin, his new friend._

 

- **Night of Armin's birthday** -

 

 

“Maybe you could ease up a little on the beer, Jean.”

“What? Why? I can't get drunk so there's no harm done here. Don’t be a buzz kill, Marco.”

“Well it’s not that I want to ruin your fun but have you seen the bottles on the table?”

Three pair of eyes turned pointedly at the dozen of empty bottles on their table. Jean snorted and took another swig of his beer bottle.

“Okay. So I’ll make this one my last one. I don’t need you getting on my back about this.” Marco knew this was Jean’s way of admitting he was right. Mikasa smiled and made a thumb up in his direction too making him laugh a little.

“Good job.”

“Not you too Mikasa!”

Eren only followed the conversation with half an ear, his thoughts troubled. Something was happening with Armin.

The strange scent that permeated the air around him had alerted him. The crowd inside the club may have been made of shifters and humans alike, the room reeking of the mixture of alcohol, sweat, perfume and arousal but Eren would recognize that smell anywhere. It was Armin’s scent. It rose strong, invading his senses, foreign yet familiar at the same time just like it had done so many years ago.

It shouldn’t have.

For as long as Eren could remember, Armin always had a peculiar smell to him. Eren’s senses had gotten attuned to it he could always tell if something was happening to the other boy by scent alone. Tonight was one of those times. The smell was completely different, unusually strong. The only time his scent had affected Eren like this, was the day he had met an aggravated and bullied Armin as kids. Thus he knew something was happening to the other boy.

Looking behind their booth, Eren scanned the crowd at the bar for any sign of him. Marco had told them that Armin had gone to get himself a drink while they were off dancing. So why wasn’t he anywhere near the bar?

“Hey, Armin’s been gone for quite a little too long now, hasn’t he? I can’t see him. I wonder where he went.”

It was Marco who voiced Eren’s thoughts, making the other boy thankful for small favors. Eren knew without a single doubt that Jean would have complained about him being overprotective of Armin, had it been him asking the question.

“Well with how crowded the bar is, it would be hard to see him. Maybe he went to the toilets? Maybe he had to go take a dump or something.”

“Ew. Please stop. We don’t need that imagery.”

“Oh please. We all do it. You eat, you drink and then you have the toilet taste the mixture from your bowels, under various shapes.”

“Too much information Jean. My ears didn't need that.” Mikasa said pulling out a face.

“Oh God, I think I’m going to throw up” Marco made a disgusting face which had Jean in a fit of laughter.

“That’s the natural order of things. Anyway, who knows?” Jean smirked and emptied his bottle. “Maybe our boy wonder found himself a date for the night and is spending some quality time with them. Like you know, that girl who was checking him out at the entrance.”

“That brunette?” Marco scoffed at Jean’s teasing smirk. “Armin wouldn’t just off and go like that. He’s not you.”

“Why not? She was kinda hot though. I mean I would understand if Armin couldn’t keep it in his…”

He never got to finish that sentence. The next second Eren was up in his face, his mouth curled up angrily.

“Armin isn’t with anyone.”

Eren’s wolf snapped angrily inside him, rebelling against the idea that Armin could be with anyone but them at that instant. Jean’s shocked expression was a clear give-away that his lack of control over the beast had shown on his face. Releasing the hands he had fisted in his friend’s shirt, Eren returned to his seat and tried to reign his instinct and body in.

“Sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”

He could feel their stare on him, particularly Mikasa’s and found himself unable to meet their eyes. He knew there would be surprise and curiosity in those stares, maybe even questions about what had just happened and he wasn’t ready to face any of that currently. His wolf was still a little agitated and his best friend nowhere in sight. Eren decided that looking for Armin would help him calm down and give a much needed time to himself.

The restrooms would be his first stop, Eren decided as he got up. A hand on his arm stopped and he turned to see Mikasa, looking at him with worry clearly written on her face.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, don’t worry. I might be getting too hot. Going to the restroom for a little bit. I’ll be back.” Eren hoped the smile he had mustered would be convincing enough. Mikasa opened her mouth as though she wanted to add something but then shook her head and let him go. Eren wondered what was up with that while he left their table.

They all watched him go until he was swallowed by the crowd and out of sight.

“What was that about?” Jean asked once Eren was out of sight. Having recovered from his earlier surprise, he looked downright pissed now. “What we can’t even make jokes about Armin having sex now?”

Marco smiled uneasily and tried to pacify his annoyed best friend. But in all honesty, Eren's reaction to Jean’s joke had startled him. It had almost felt like he was ready to shift then, the dominant part of him bared for all of them to see. An overreaction, even for someone as hot-blooded as Eren. But in retrospect Marco thought he shouldn’t have been surprised.

He had known all of his friends for years, grew up and bonded with them. From the moment Eren had introduced him to his new human friend, Marco had noticed something intangible between the two boys. How Eren could tell when Armin was coming to the park before they saw him or how Armin could sometimes pinpoint Eren’s position without trying. He had seen how defensive Eren got of anyone other than him touching the other human. Jean had also noticed when he had joined their group later, using that to get a rise out of Eren as they grew up. Yet the relationship between Eren and Armin had only gotten stronger. It was in the way they would react to each other, in the intensity their bond would give off at times.

Then Mikasa had been introduced to the group and chosen as Eren’s mate by their pack. Marco had seen how much it had affected their human friend, despite the happy front he had put up after learning that Eren and Mikasa were going out as the humans put it. He had also seen the way Eren started to pull away physically from Armin, yet never strayed far from Armin. Unlike his feelings for Jean, he was certain Armin’s feelings were reciprocated despite the human thinking the contrary. Eren’s unusual outburst earlier had only confirmed that for Marco. Jealousy. Possession. A shifter would lash out at anyone trying to steal their mate away from them.

Eren wanted Armin even when he tried to hide it and that was more than troubling. The rules were absolute. Same sex mating was against nature and the ones caught could be punished. That was the reason why his feelings for Jean weren’t going anywhere, no matter what his wolf had decided. The situation with Eren and Armin too would get nowhere. The pack would never allow that.

Marco frowned and looked at Mikasa who looked downright sad and resigned as she kept looking in the direction Eren went. Marco felt sad as he watched her, knowing what it felt like to love someone while knowing they didn’t return your feelings. Like him and Jean. Refusing to think about that, Marco focused back on the situation, wondering where Armin had gone and what Eren would do. Maybe he would go check later.

 

The moment he entered the hallway leading to the restroom, Eren knew with absolute certainty that he would find Armin there. His scent was much more condensed here, much sweeter than usual too. His wolf already on edge after Jean’s earlier comment, was growing restless again and urging him to hurry toward the male restroom. Eren didn't understand why he felt this same sense of urgency but he moved quickly nonetheless. Armin’s scent got even more enticing as he got near his location and made his mind a little hazy.

Eren could feel the fire like sensation spreading through his body and the stirring in his groin. He could even hear his accelerated pulse and the blood pumping fast in his veins. Eren knew he was getting excited and that this wasn't just lust.  Although he had yet to go through mating, he had already felt arousal in the past. When his body would react to the way Armin usually smelt for one. Or the many nights he had jerked off after waking up from an erotic dream featuring Armin. Or the time he had spent wishing he could touch Armin's body like he wanted to.

Lusting after Armin wasn't new to him. He was used to it and was aware that what he was experiencing currently was different and much more intense.

The moment he had caught Armin’s scent, his body had felt like it was catching fire. Now as he got closer to the male restroom, he felt like he was being pulled toward Armin, compelled to go to him. His wolf was relentlessly testing his control, wanting to take over. The way he felt reminded him of what he had learned about the werewolves mating urges, especially in period of heat. The two mates would be unable to resist the appeal of each other due to the excessive production of pheromones, especially from the female in heat. It made the situation confusing for Eren as Armin was a human male and not a female shifter. Heat only happened between make and females shifters, on rare occasions with humans of the opposing gender too. But Armin was none of that and yet…

Eren felt like he was pulled toward another wolf. Was he losing his mind?

“Yes, I’m pretty certain it’s him. He’s reacting to it.” The unknown voice startled him. As he rounded another, Eren found a man in front of the restroom. A human by his smell. Eren felt irritated that someone would be there now of all time.

“I made sure the dose was just right, yeah. He should be… ” The person at the other end may have said something to annoy him because the guy looked unhappy. “Of course I did. Do you think I’m stupid? He looks exactly like the woman. Actually he looks like both of them, just like Alpha Ulrich predicted he would. He’ll be pleased when he sees him.”

The word Alpha made Eren frown. Humans didn’t use the term Alpha to refer to anyone unless they were part of a wolf pack. But if he was a familiar he didn’t work for this pack. Eren had never seen the guy at any of their meetings. He had also never heard that Alpha name before meaning that whoever he was talking wasn’t from one the neighboring packs. A familiar from another pack. What was he doing here? Eren couldn't remember hearing anything about them receiving someone from another pack recently.

**_‘Out of the way.’_ **

Eren grounded his teeth as his wolf surged inside him again reminded him that he needed to get to Armin. The other man needed to go.

“Shit, there’s someone here. Call you back.” After hanging up, the human gave a tight smile at Eren and went to open the door to the male restroom.

“You will not open this door if you do not want to be ripped to shreds.” He hadn’t meant to say that out loud and not with that low, growl-like tone. But seeing how aggravated his wolf was at the idea that the other man might see Armin if he opened the door, Eren couldn’t be bothered. If the human was indeed a familiar like he thought, he would react to the order. When the other guy froze, Eren got the confirmation he needed. He would ask the why later.

“I’m sorry sir, but I need to use the bat-”

“I will not repeat myself again. Get. Away. From. The. Door”

The man looked at him, swallowed hard and nodded, acknowledging the shifter in front of him. He was on his way back to the bar area when Eren took note of his bartender outfit. With another frown, Eren wondered again how a familiar from another pack was working here without their knowledge. However the more important thing at present was whatever was happening with Armin.

Eren grabbed him by the arm and stopped him. The man might turn handy in the end.

“You are a familiar and work here right?” The man nodded slightly and Eren continued in a threatening tone. “If I didn’t have more pressing matters right now I would have made you tell me what you’re doing here. But that can wait. For now I need information. Where do people like me get privacy if they need some in this place?”

“The-there are some empty rooms in the back. Most shifters use them when they... need privacy.”

The bartender walked a few feet further and pointed to a door with an Employees only sign. He then produced a set of keys. Eren grabbed them.

“The bigger key should give you access to the door. The second key is the room I’m in charge of for the night. No one has used it yet.”

“No one would bother me inside?” Eren asked, wanting to make sure. Better safe than sorry.

The bartender swallowed hard and nodded nervously. “I... I've been told that it's made to keep everything that happens there, inside...S-Sir.”

“Good. Now go back.”

Eren waited for the bartender to be out of sight before he entered the male restrooms. He was immediately assaulted by the smell inside, much heavier and stronger than it had been from the outside. He felt almost lightheaded as he closed the door behind him. There was no lock on it but no one has caught on the smell yet. He intended to keep it that way.

“Armin.”

Eren called him out and was relieved to hear the small groan like sound. His best friend was definitely in here. Guided by his senses, Eren moved further into the room, past the row of stalls until he found him. What he saw stopped him in his tracks. Armin was there alright but not exactly in the way he had expected. At least not the way the human part of Eren had expected. His wolf was another matter entirely, felling much more eager.

His best friend had hidden himself in the corner between the last stall and the wall, his normally blue eyes now a golden hue as they looked at him frightfully. He had wolf like ears protruding on the side of his head, the same blonde color as the tail Armin was trying to conceal behind him.

A partial change. Eren eyes widened as they took in the sight in front of him.

“Armin… You're a shifter?”

In spite of saying that, Eren thought he wasn’t as shocked as he should have been. It was as if part of him had been ready to find Armin like that. Like he had known about Armin for a long time. His wolf had probably known all along.

“You’re a wolf, like me.” He repeated again as if trying to convince himself he was seeing right. Armin didn’t answer and Eren took a step in his direction, not missing the fear rolling off his friend in waves.

“Don’t… Don’t come any closer…”

“Don’t be scared Armin. I’m not going to hurt you. I just…” Eren left the sentence unfinished, not sure he could convey his strange desire to be closer to Armin.

Instead he kept moving and didn’t miss the way Armin’s nostrils flared the closer he got to him. His scent grew more intoxicating, making Eren grunt in turn. His already hardened cock started to throb painfully in his pants. Inhaling deeply, Eren finally realized what was happening. Armin was emitting pheromones.

“You’re in heat.”  

Armin instantly flushed and whimpered again while Eren looked at him shocked. Not only was Armin a wolf shifter he was also going through heat. How could that be possible? How could he have been a shifter and no one ever noticed? More importantly why was a male werewolf going through heat?

While the logical part of him turned all those questions through his head, the wild part of him was going wild inside him.

_**‘He’s ready. Our Mate is ready. Claim him. Make him ours.’** _

His mate. Hearing his wolf call Armin their mate again after so long made Eren feel like everything was right in the world again. Armin was truly his and his only. His instinct had been right all along no matter what he had been told.

Bending down, he rubbed his cheek against Armin and marked him with his scent, subconsciously making soft rumbling sounds.

“No… Eren don’t…”

Even as he said that, Armin pulled Eren to him and rubbed up against him, answering in kind. Eren took another deep breath again, absorbing the scent he had come to know as well as his own. Armin smelled so good, so damn good. It made it impossible for Eren to focus on anything but marking Amin and giving him relief. He wanted to claim him so everyone would know Armin was his, no one else.

The smaller shifter’s sharp breath intake and his subsequent moaning made Eren register his actions. His mouth had moved to Armin’s exposed throat, worrying it with tiny bites and licks while he had one hand down Armin’s opened pants working on his wet and erect shaft.

_Not like this. We need to go somewhere more private._

Those thoughts did nothing to stop him though. Not when the blonde parted his legs wide, whining about getting relief and being taken.

Eren’s hand moved with a mind of its own, bypassing Armin’s scrotum to slide in the crease hidden further down. Surprised at the wetness he found there, Eren tried pulling his hand out to see but Armin moaned, digging sharp nails into his shoulder and moving on his toes so Eren could get a better access. The taller male shivered and slid a knee between Armin’s legs to hoist him up.

The moment they were eye level, Armin frantically pulled Eren to him and smashed their lips together. A soft grunt escaped him when Armin greedily sucked his tongue in, rubbing his groin against his leg. He softly whine again when Eren took his hand off his pants only to shudder when he felt another hand pet his tail.

Eren enjoyed the soft feel of the other boy fur before his hand down, into the cleft of Armin’s ass. Experimentally, he rubbed his finger around the small orifice there, testing the texture around it before he pushed inside. Armin moaned loudly, arching his body closer to his. Eren slowly moved his finger around, enjoying the tightness encasing his finger. His cock lurched against his pants as he started to pump his finger in and out. He wanted inside the wet heat really badly.

Against him, Armin grew agitated and pushed back urgently to meet Eren's fingers.

“Eren… Clothes. Too many...Hurts. Help me.”

Armin’s whine was enough to make Eren find his bearings again and remember where in a public bathroom where anyone else could come and find them at any time. He needed to think straight for the both of them. Armin was in heat and wouldn’t think about anything but sex for a while. They had to go to one of the private rooms the bartender had told him about. With the way Armin's scent kept growing stronger, there was no way it wouldn't attract other shifters in the vicinity and Eren would have no one see his mate in this state.

Dropping his leg down, Eren left Armin down the ground again. He gritted his teeth at the way the over eager shifter tried to keep their body in close contact, rubbing himself against him and refusing to let go. He all but sobbed when Eren separated them.

“No… Eren, please.”

“Shhh. I’ll take care of you. We need to go somewhere more private.” When Armin attempted to grab him again, Eren decided to use his Alpha status over his mate. “Stop. We need to go.”

Armin only whined in response, ears flattened against the side his head while he presented the side of his neck in a sign of submission. Eren almost felt guilty for using his authority over his mate like that but they had to get going. Bending, he wrapped one arm around Armin’s legs and the other around his waist and then carried him out of the restroom.

 

 

By the time they were reaching their destination, Eren was swearing up down to never carry Armin that way again, at least not when he was in heat. The blond had made focusing on his task difficult, continuously biting and sucking on every part of skin he could reach, from Eren’s shoulders to his ears. Now as he opened the door to the room corresponding to the number on the key and pushed Armin inside, he felt the last straws of his patience pop. The same could be said of Armin who proceeded to shred every bit of clothing he wore the moment Eren let him down.

Eren made sure to lock the door before he turned back to face his mate. The sight that awaited for him made him forgot to breathe for a moment. Armin laid on the bed, with his ass in the air and his tail raised out of the way as his hand worked on his leaking cock.

“Eren…Hurry… I need to come… it hurts.”

Eren grunted at the very enticing sight, almost drunk with desire. He hadn’t thought he could feel more excited than he already was but Armin was proving him wrong.

Wasting no time, Eren got rid of his clothes and joined him on the bed. His hands immediately went to knead the two globes of Armin’s ass, dragging a long groan from him. Eren licked his lips, his attention never straying from the puckered hole that would come in clear view every not and then as his hands worked on each buttocks to his gaze.

“You’re so wet back there, Armin. Why?”

Completely mesmerized, Eren bent down and breathed in the strong smell. He needed to taste him and did just that.

Armin's body almost came off the bed when he felt the long swipe of Eren’s tongue against his tiny entrance. Loving the tang of his mate’s excitement, Eren kept licking at him, slightly pushing his tongue in whenever he felt the small orifice give in a little.

While his mouth was busy at Armin’s hole, he slid one hand down between Armin’s legs and replaced Armin’s on the weeping member. He would be the one to give satisfaction to Armin this time. His free hand soon joined in when he pushed one finger inside the puckered hole, filling it.

“More.” Armin moaned. “Need more…”

Following Armin’s needs, Eren soon added a second and third fingers to the first one and pumped them. Armin's trashing and incessant moaning was proof for Eren that he was doing things right but it still wasn't enough. Eren brought his mouth down and sucked on Armin’s tightening sack one after the other.

It didn’t take long for the combined action of his hands and mouth to bring Armin to the brink. He let out a long keening sound and his body went rigid as he came. Eren felt the contraction everywhere at once and growled low in his throat. Letting his lover ride that waves of pleasure to their maximum, he didn’t stop his ministrations, not even after Armin’s body had gone relaxed. He kept pumping his fingers in and out of him while his mouth went to work on Armin’s shaft this time. He knew this first climax would only be mildly satisfying to Armin. His heat would need more than that to be appeased. As if on cue, Armin started moving again, in tandem with Eren’s mouth and fingers. He was soon coming again, his hips bucking in Eren’s mouth as the taller shifter swallowed his essence down.

Only a few minutes passed by before Armin was whining again, begging Eren for more.

“Take me… Please fuck me… I need you… inside me…It’s not enough.”

As if to demonstrate, Armin pushed back against Eren’s fingers, making them go inside him as deep as they could go. Eren felt his own cock jerk in answer and squeezed it to stop himself from coming. Everything about his best friend was way too enticing for him to keep level-headed. His wolf had started acting up again, demanding they mated soon. Eren knew he couldn't wait any longer.

Positioning himself behind Armin again, Eren pulled his fingers out and growled as he watched the twitching opening. He didn’t miss the way Armin body followed his fingers as if unwilling to let them go.

“I’m going to take you now… ”

“Hurry…” Armin’s tail wagged left and right as he opened his legs even wider.

Breathing raggedly Eren grabbed his cock and rubbed it against Armin, using his slick to wet himself. When he finally pushed inside inch by inch, their relieved moans filled the room. They were finally joined. Fighting the urge to move, Eren waited, wanting to give his mate time to adjust only to realize it wasn’t necessary. Armin started to push back and forth against him, grinding against his mate.

It was all the signaling Eren needed.

Grabbing Armin’s hips, he pulled out and thrust in deep, setting a hard rhythm which had them both grunting and moaning in no time. Eren didn’t think anything could top the feeling of Armin tight heat opening and tightening around him everytime he moved. Nor could anything top the sweet moans Armin left out.

Still thrusting him, Eren bent down and started jerking on Armin’s cock. All the while he was careful not to lean in too much so as to not Armin tail between them. Timing the thrust of his hand with the one of his hips, Eren soon had the perfect rhythm to make Armin come a second time.

“So good! So good! Give me more…”

Eren looked down at Armin, wondering what his lover meant.

_**‘Claim him.’** _

Claim Armin as his. He had wanted it for so long that the thought was enough to make the base of his cock swell in anticipation of his release. His knot grew and with it an intense desire to be completely buried inside his mate. Beneath him, Armin raised his hips so the new angle had Eren pushing deeper. Eren’s eyes widened. He knew knotting was one way to attenuate the heat but hesitated. The way the forming knot bumped against the tight entrance had him worried its full size he would hurt Armin. Could Armin take it?

“More Eren… please. Give it to me!!”

He shouldn’t so it.

_**‘Make him ours. Breed him.’** _

He didn’t want to hurt his mate.

“Eren! Please!”

In between Armin's sweet cries and his instinct urging him, Eren finally lost the battle. On one last thrust, he buried himself deep inside his mate and closed his eyes. He felt his knot expand inside the tight channel and gripped Armin’s hips to keep them joined for the duration of their bonding. His hips rotated around a few times before he ejaculated, feeling spurt after spurt burst out of him. Soon after, Eren felt the rippling in Armin's body as his mate came for the third time. His walls contracted around his knot, massaging it and amplifying the sensation in for them, bringing the intensity to its maximum.

Their bodies were still joined when they fell back on the bed, Eren mindful of not crushing his mate. Lying on his side he brought Armin’s back against him, leaving space between them so Armin could move his tail. His gaze fell on Armin’s neck and Eren bit gently at the skin there. He had yet to bite him and mark him. His mate.

“Mine.”

“Yes… my mate…” Armin answered in a tired voice while Eren reveled in the fact that Armin had also called him mate.

Nodding to himself, Eren rubbed his head against Armin, covering him up in his scent. Armin was his now even if he hadn’t claimed him in the official way. Knowing his knot would take some time before deflating, Eren lied still next to his mate.

Marking and physical claiming would wait later. For now they needed to rest and maybe prepare in case Armin’s heat wasn’t over.

 

 


End file.
